Empowering Communities Affected by Injustice
Our Justice System Reform Program advances social, economic, and racial justice by centering the voices and experiences of those most harmed by our deeply flawed, inherently racist, and overly punitive criminal legal system.
OUR WORK
We work to end mass incarceration and the death penalty, improve public safety, challenge systemic racism, eliminate collateral consequences, and hold those in power accountable when they abuse their authority.
Justice System Reform Work
Because the criminal legal system can’t be transformed through any one tool or issue alone, we approach our work creatively and expansively, regularly partnering with others to find the most effective and impactful ways to engage and support change. Using litigation, advocacy, research, communications, and policy analysis, we aim to disrupt oppressive systems and build a more just, less punitive alternative.
America’s incarceration crisis is the ultimate example of the politics and underlying culture of dehumanization that we must end together. SCSJ seeks to reduce the number of people entering and remaining in the criminal legal system and advocates for the elimination of the death penalty and other excessive punishments.
SCSJ works to dismantle systemic obstacles and foster equitable opportunities for those seeking to reenter society and rebuild their lives after contact with the criminal legal system. We work to bring people home from prison and further support them as they navigate reentry with dignity and stability.
Those in power must be held accountable. If state or local officials misuse their power against marginalized people or communities, we stand with those directly impacted and help them fight back.
SCSJ is committed to redefining public safety by challenging punitive, fear-driven systems and promoting evidence-based, community-centered alternatives. We explore and share policies and practices that increase public safety, strike the right balance between accountability and repair, and center justice for all.
Core Strategies
We amplify the fight for justice — strategically connecting resources, sharing expertise, and supporting stakeholders to amplify the work of advocates, organizations, and community leaders across North Carolina and the South. We believe lasting change comes from building and sustaining powerful, community-rooted movements.
We create and distribute resources that empower directly impacted communities, equip our partners with vital context, educate elected officials on community needs, and reshape media coverage. By providing communications support, research tools, and accessible information, we ensure communities have both the knowledge and narrative frameworks necessary to effectively advocate for themselves and drive systemic change.
We represent individuals and communities across the South — in local tribunals, county courthouses, and federal courts — to protect rights, hold power to account, and stand in the breach. Our advocacy also happens outside of the courtroom. Through a uniquely integrated approach that blends legal expertise, strategic communications, and data-driven research, we design powerful campaigns to challenge and transform harmful systems and policies.
Justice System Reform Cases
Justice System Reform News
Statement: North Carolina Needs Real Safety Solutions, Not Harsher Punishment
DURHAM, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2025) — Southern Coalition for Social Justice is committed to advancing justice and building safe, thriving communities. We reject the outdated view that criminal justice is a zero-sum game that pits safety versus justice against one another. Moreover, history — and countless studies, data, and lived experiences — tells us reactive…
Read More Statement: North Carolina Needs Real Safety Solutions, Not Harsher Punishment
Charges Dropped Against NCCU Students from Housing Protest
DURHAM, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2025) — Criminal charges against three people who were arrested during an April campus protest over North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) poor housing conditions were dismissed Monday in Durham County District Court. The State voluntarily dismissed the charges against two students and one professor after a district court judge denied their…
Read More Charges Dropped Against NCCU Students from Housing Protest